Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-30
A LOVELY MEXICAN CITY.
THE GOOD LUCK OF A YOUNG
FRENCH MINER.
Site of Maximiiian's Palace and the
Place in Which Herman Cortes
Engaged in Agriculture.

that of the Tlahuica nation, has popu-
lation of about l7,0eo, and its quaint
name, literally translated, means "horning
cows" 1t was one of the thirty cities
which the Spanish sovereign, Carlos V,
gave to Cortes, and afterwards it formed
part of the estates Of the Dukes de Monk
leone, who represented the Cortes family
for many generations. Away back in the
fourteenth century, when the Tlahuicos
Indians founded the town, they called it
Misunderstanding "near to the
beautiful hills va much more appropri-
ate name than that bestowed by the usurp-
ers, who conquered and took possession of
the city in the spring of 1921.
Lying al an elevation Of less than five
Thousand feet above the sea-on spur of
land jutting out from the mountains be-
tween two bdrrdncds, or ravines, of great
length and dizzy highland being well
supplied with heat and water, its vegeta-
ton is exceptionally luxuriant, even for
the tropics, and the suburbs
ONE CONTINUOUS GARDEN.
The early writer's in Mexico have all
celebrated in glowing terms, not only the
beauty and the delightful climate of Cuer-
navaca, but the strength of its situation,
which-being extended on one side by the
steepest of hills, and on the other by ter
rible ravine through which surgcd an i'm
passable torrent-the Tlahuicas considered
absolutely impregnable. But those guile
lsss savages had not reckoned on the greedy
enterprise of the Spaniards, who crossed
the stupendous 6arranca from above, after
telling huge trees, whose branches formed
an immense bridge for men and horses. 1t
is said that the primitive causeway proved
regular Al Serat to the invaders, many
of whom persisted in the passage by tumb-
ling into the abyss below.
After the subjugation of its original pos
SCISSORS, Cuernavaca attracted to itself a
host of Spanish Adventures, but none OF
them so successful as Herman Cortes, the
Marquis of the valley" Here he built
beautiful country residence for his young
and beautiful second wife, and for a time
devoted himself to agricultural pursuits
with ardor equaled only by that with which
he had pursued his neighbors, the Indians,
only few years before. To find
Ell PALACIo DE CoRTEz
AS it is still called, go down the main
street leading to the eastern part Of the
town, and you cannot miss the venerable
structure which the conqueror erected for
his own dwelling, wherein he planned the
cultivation of his ample estate, and later
oontrived the discovery of the California
Gulf and peninsula.
To Cortez the Cuernavaca planters were
directly indebted for the introduction of
merino sheep (whose wool is now one OF
the staple products of the State) and also
it is said-for the first sugar-cane that
ever lifted its tasseled head beneath the
burning sun Of Mexico. These things
TRANSFERRED right here in this vale of Cuer-
navaca, and three centuries and a halt
ago; and to-day not only the ancient
castle, with its battlemented roof and wide
arched entrances, attest to Cortezs indus
try, but all the surrounding valleys as well
with their waving pillows of succulent
cane.
The castle itself, still in a good state OF
preservation, is now occupied as n Court
house, and of course has undergone some
changes which entered not into the plan Of
the original proprietor. The vast structure
rises directly above the eastern barranca
and from its upper corridor-where the
halls OF justice are now located-one may
gain
A MAGNIFICENT VIEW
OF town and country. The houses OF
Cuernavaca are mostly of stone, all over
grown with vines and surrounded bv gar
dens. The domes and spires of several
churches point heavenward through the
trees, and hundreds of lovely cane cottages
lra
"Unbroken roof of leaves,
Underneath whose sloping caves
The shadows hardly move
Here also is a convent for Franciscans, and
a massive old church which Cortes built
believing that he had laid the foundation
of great city. Everything seemed tc
favor his idea, not only the unrivalled
climate and the beauty of the situation
but the abundance of water Ia rare bless.
lns IN Mexico), fine trees, delicious fruits
inexhaustible mines in the immediate
nelghborhood, and its nearness to the ma
tlonal capital. Despite all these advant-
ages, however, 1t has never been a place OF
especial Importance, except as the resort
during a portion of the year for few
wealthy Mexican and fewer American
tourists
EMPEROR MAMMALIAN
Also built a palace here, which is now
used as a school-house and is known as Fl
Colegio de las Ninas A handsome though
neglected old garden adjoins it, within
which bananas and palms are fiourishine
amid wilderness of flowers: bnt all about
the premises seems as sad and rilinous as
the fortunes of the royal adventurer from
Miramar. This charming retreat cost the
short -ly-ad Epnna,Ar
he occupied it only from January to Octo-
Der in the year 1866. The view from the
house is superb the snow-clad peaks of the
twin volcanoes Popocatipetl and Txiacci-
haetl being in full view though % miles
to the eastward.
One of Cuernavaca's greatest attractions
is the Garden of Laborde,7 which was
laid out by lucky Frenchman of that
name nearly century and a half ago. In
l74l Laborde came to Mexico, then very
poor and very young, but by series of for
tunate mining speculaticns he soon became
immensely wealthy. Once he lost his vast
fortune, buf regained it in few wears. and
Mt his death gave it all to the church.
Here IN Cgernavaca
HE BUILT "BuENo REr1Ro.-
Or pleasure garden, on more magnificent
s'e-ttS tlAstA any tudl Isiu Detfl ATTEMPTED
since the days of the Aztec and Tezcuosau
monarehs- his splendid work of nearly
hundred and fifty years ago is still In
tolerable preservation, and visitors are ad-
mitted to all its beauties, to remain as long
as they please. NJ the cost of n real ~
cents per capita. Adjoining the grounds
are church and convent, also founded By
the pious Laborde, which are now going
rapidly to decay. This grim old pile ID
buildings runs back from one of the prin-
cipal streets ofthe town to the brink of the
western ravine-and wild tales are told
of ghosts in ccwls and hempen girdles
prowling about this portion of the bar
ranca. At the angles Of the high and
massive walls bellerses arise, directly above
the dark ravine and overlooking its wind
ing course. commanding beautiful pros
pect OF the great reach of mountain and
plain TO the south and west. From the
center ST the garden broad stone ways lead
up TO these bellecues, covered with hard
plates pasnted red and white, and bordered
with stone pillars supporting vases of flow